Last Train Home
by not.megan
Summary: Missed the last train home.  Birds pass by to tell me that I'm not alone.  Well I'm pushing myself to finish this part, I can handle a lot, but one thing I'm missing is in your eyes. In your eyes. xSasuSakux
1. You're Dead to Her

The moment he stepped through the doors to the Hokage's office, he realized something. He would never be accepted back into this village. But he had to try. Because he had nothing left to do. His eyes met the Hokage's briefly before she said, "What do you want, Uchiha?"

She didn't seem to be on alert even though his presence was known throughout the tower. He felt another presence in the room. His met with jade. They were flat and expressionless. He ignored her, he always did and continued down. He threw a group of papers down on the desk. Tsunade riffled through them before gasping and saying, "Sakura, come here."

She complied and he was greeted with the sight of his ex-teammate's face, much like her eyes, flat and expressionless. She saw the papers and said nothing. Thought he could've sworn her eyes widened.

Tsunade looked up at him and said quietly, "Is this real?"

He shrugged in a nonchalant way and said, "Sure."

Tsunade flashed a look at Sakura, she let out a shrill whistle. Sasuke was surrounded by ANBU in a few seconds. He didn't resist capture. He looked at Tsunade and Sakura and said, "I seek amnesty. I don't want to fight you."

The two women said nothing, simply looked at the seventeen year old who looked much older. His eyes were dark and the only think they seemed to show was the dark, black obsidian of the Uchiha eyes and his face was gaunt as if he hadn't eaten in days. Sakura had said nothing to him the whole time.

………….

"Teme…" a voice drifted to him. Sasuke had been in his cell for a few hours. He had been dozing off.

"Naruto," he said in a flat tone.

He opened his eyes slightly to look at his former teammate. Naruto was older looking, more mature. His blue eyes were serious but that wasn't the only thing that was slightly… off about his teammate. Naruto's arm was set in a sling and his other arm was holding a crutch. As Sasuke recalled, Naruto healed abnormally fast, so why was he hurt now? Also, the numerous lacerations and scratches on his face and arms that weren't covered in his trademark orange and black jacket. Then a fairly large gash that went up his forearm.

"What happened to you, dobe?" he muttered, still unemotionally.

A blonde eyebrow raised, "Concerned?"

"Of course not. But why aren't you healed already?" he asked, not bothering to keep up that ice-block mask.

Naruto frowned slightly and said, "It seemed that Sakura found a way to repress the Kyuubi's chakra so that other people can operate on me. I was pretty messed up when I came here so she used all her chakra to heal the major wounds but couldn't get to the other ones so she managed to suppress it's chakra. She's out now so she hasn't been able to undo the seal."

Sasuke looked slightly confused.

Naruto chuckled slightly and said, "I wouldn't expect you to know. Sakura's the go-to person for things regarding evil chakra, cursed seals, and genjutsu. Not to mention number 2 medic nin around. I'm actually pretty surprised that she wasn't the one to seal you."

Sasuke shrugged. But maybe she would know why the cursed seal was still there even though its creator was gone.

Naruto seemed to sense what Sasuke was thinking because he then said, "If you want to see her, you'll have to get off with probation or something. I seriously doubt that she'd visit."

One black eyebrow rose in an unspoken question.

Naruto chuckled, "It's not really that complicated. You're dead to her."

You're dead to her. The four words echoed unmercifully through his mind. So that was what he had become to the one person who loved him more then anything in the world.

Naruto appeared to be satisfied with the amount of things for Sasuke to mull over and left.


	2. Nothing to Love

"What did you think of it?" the Godaime Hokage asked her apprentice.

"I don't know…" said Sakura quietly. She had seen all matter of wounds in her years at the hospital but the complete gruesomeness of the corpses of Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi terrified her. And then the hunter-nin reports that had collected the bodies. Slashed organs strewn across the battle sights and the bodies were mutilated so much that only the head could serve to identify them.

"Well he seems to be in earnest, but why would he come back?"

"Maybe he feels like he has nothing else to live for," uttered Sakura quietly.

……………

Sakura was frowning. Her eyebrows were furrowed, creating a crease between them. Her eyes were blazing with disapproval.

"I swear, I didn't know!" the man facing her seemed to quake in his boots.

Her frown deepened and the man gave a cry of fear.

"Don't hurt me!" he squealed pathetically.

Her frown disappeared and her lips quirked into an amused half-smile. This seemed to frighten the man even more.

"Oho. The great Uzumaki Naruto quaking in fear. What would your adoring Konomaru-kun say?" she chuckled darkly and Naruto froze, his eyes wide.

"I didn't think you'd be this mad!" he said, arms stretched with his palms facing her as if that would stop the mighty force of Haruno Sakura.

"Naruto. You told him about me and stuff and you told him what I said to never mention! Have you ever heard of a secret?" she asked.

Naruto whimpered and Sakura advanced on him. He was shaking and quivering and she kept advancing, her fist raised.

In his fear, Naruto said the only thing he could think of, "He seemed impressed!"

Sakura's advancing only faltered slightly and then WHAM! Naruto went flying into the sky and disappeared with a 'ping' like Team Rocket did when Pikachu electrocuted them.

She muttered, "Aw fuck, not again." And walked off, heading towards the hospital.

Sakura entered the hospital where one of the nurses handed her a white coat and a steaming cup of coffee. She muttered a thanks and pulled a large pile of filed from a file cabinet. After setting most of the files down on a desk nearby, she made her way to the elevator. She sipped at her coffee while reading the file. This guy had been in here before. He had suffered severe head trauma. She thought she healed him. But he had been complaining of headaches and some minor memory loss. Another good ninja gone. He probably suffered from that new jutsu. The strange one that ended up in the shinobi it was performed on loosing their mind after a few weeks. It was strange, to say the least but the lack of information they had on it was strange. The patients never knew what had happened to them. It was ordinary for concussion patients to black out before the head injury so there was no questions asked when the shinobi didn't know what happened to them.

Sakura walked up to the room and opened the door to be greeted by the face of Morino Ibiki. She frowned, "Why are you interrogating my patient?"

Ibiki's impassive face remained the same. "He had some information. But the oubliez jutsu must've erased it or something." He said.

Because they had no name for it, the few people who knew about the new jutsu called it the Oubliez Jutsu. The Forgetting Technique.

Sakura nodded and walked in further. The man was almost half way there. His eyes were vacant and he was rocking back and forth on the bed. She frowned. This wasn't good.

"Do you know what your name is?" she asked, knowing that pleasantries weren't in order.

The man shook his head. The symptoms were becoming more and more quick to come on.

"Do you know what you're doing here?" she asked.

He shook his head. This went on for a while, with Sakura asking questions and the man not knowing. Then, his eyes seemed to glaze over. Then he turned to face her. He suddenly leaped up and ran towards her, kunai poised over his head. She caught his arm and twisted the kunai out of it. She pulled his other hand harshly behind his back and called for a nurse.

One came and Sakura asked her to take the patient to the mental ward. She sighed when he was gone and ran a hand through her hair. This was the fifth one this year. Whenever she examined their heads, there didn't seem to be anything wrong, but she had to be missing something.

The rest of the day at the hospital passed without much excitement. Sure if you considered an ANBU rushing in with a gaping head wound excitement, then there was plenty of that. But after five years of working at that hospital, gaping head wounds weren't a rarity.

Sakura let loose a large yawn that would've had had people gaping at her with obvious, what-the-hell looks if the streets were more filled. But it was about eleven at night and Konoha citizens weren't really partiers. In fact, neither were shinobi, they preferred to drink, very angrily I might add but sometimes the less abstinent ones went to those slightly shady clubs. Sakura did neither, preferring to head over to Ichiraku to eat ramen with Naruto. It was one of those little traditions that stuck over the years.

By the time that Sakura had gotten to Ichiraku, her stomach was grumbling angrily. She realized sheepishly that she hadn't eaten since the morning.

"Oi, Naruto." She called out to the blonde Jinchiruuki who was sitting on the stool with his chin in his hand, a thoroughly bored look on his face.

He smiled when he saw her. "Sakura-chan. How was your day?"

She shrugged, "Nothing that important to report. I mean, the whole forgetting jutsu is causing problems but you knew about that."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah. We've been hearing reports about activities near Orochimaru's base but you know, you can't be too sure, especially with Sasuke and all."

Sakura nodded, "I don't think it has anything to do with him. His types of jutsu leave spots of chakra and infected organs all over the place. It was the same with the cursed seal, the organs end up dying before the patient reaches age 40. Maybe the work of Kabuto."

Naruto hmm'd. "Did he escape?" Sakura shrugged. Naruto said, "Well, let's not talk about stuff like this." He ordered loudly for himself and Sakura ordered her usual. They shared a bottle of sake.

The evening was filled with talk of friends and laughter, joking about things like that until they reached the uncomfortable topic of Sasuke.

"Are you going to visit him?" Naruto asked, his face uncharacteristically serious.

Sakura sighed and said, "I don't think so, Naruto."

Naruto said nothing. They had had this conversation before. The two sat in silence for a while. There was so much past in Team 7 and between Naruto and Sakura that the silence wasn't awkward, just pensive.

"You haven't let him go yet. As much of a front you put up, it's still there. And that scares you." Sakura froze. Naruto could see that.

"Do you believe in love, Naruto?"

Naruto was puzzled. "How could I not?"

"I don't believe that love can ever truly disappear from a person's heart. But person can change. But the love that the victim feels before the other changes sometimes can't change with them. The Sasuke I fell in love with is no longer there. I will always love that Sasuke. But this one isn't someone who I'd like to even talk to. I deserve better."

Naruto felt anguish for her. Sakura had been yanked out of her childhood naivety the minute that Sasuke left her on that bench. And now Sasuke would have to reap the consequences of his actions.

……………..

"Teme."

"Dobe."

"Hokage wants to see you."

Sasuke shrugged. Then followed Naruto out of the jail cell and onto a path that would lead to the Hokage's tower without being shown on the main streets of Konoha. They were built for the secret prisoners' journeys to the Hokage Tower that was across town.

When they got to Tsunade's office, Sasuke had already guessed what she wanted to talk about. His impending trial. Naruto and Sasuke waited outside the door for a while. Naruto knocked. There was no answer but Sasuke heard voices.

It sounded like Tsunade. "Wait. Explain that again. I don't understand."

Then another that he didn't recognize for a second. Then. Oh, it was Sakura. "It's a relatively simple thing. I don't know why I didn't think of it at first. Orochimaru's techniques and curses are unique because he can easily seal someone on the spot. He implants his chakra inside someone and uses that to nurse the already growing whatever in them. The evil chakra slowly eats away at the victim and there we go, cursed seals and levels. Akatsuki could take out the demons from the jinchuuriki. Demons are basically chakra with a brain and a heart and whatnot, in essence, we should be able to remove the chakra from someone's body."

"There's a but somewhere there, right?"

"Yeah. Even though Orochimaru's dead, Sasuke's chakra would have mixed with Orochimaru's, keeping the chakra still there. Usually, after a person dies, their chakra goes away. Sasuke's had Orochimaru's chakra in him so long that it's probably been absorbed by his insides and his chakra production would be changed and varied by that. There's about a thirty percent survival rate. "

"That wouldn't help Naruto or you, Sakura."

Sasuke didn't know what that meant but Sakura replied, "It's a built in part of his personality, I've let go of _that."_

"Good. You can't afford to have feelings like that if you're to find something. A clear mind is needed."

Sakura was quiet until she said softly, so softly that Sasuke had to strain to hear it, "He's not there anymore, there's nothing to love."

……………

It seemed just the time for Sakura to open the door. Sasuke and Naruto fell into the office, Sakura barely dodging. Sasuke glanced up at Sakura to meet her eye. They were flat and lacked the tears that he assumed were there. It was a horrid reminder of her indifference to him.

"Naruto, next time you eavesdrop, remember who you're eavesdropping on," remarked Tsunade lightly, as if they hadn't been talking about Sasuke's impending doom minutes before.

Sakura looked away from Sasuke's intense stare and said quietly to Tsunade, "Hokage-sama." She bowed and walked away.

Tsunade shook her head, her brandy-colored eyes worried. Then she glanced at Sasuke and said mildly, "Well what are we going to do with you?"

Sasuke said nothing. Tsunade called for a Chuunin that he didn't know the name of. "Get me Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura, please."

The name-less Chuunin wined, "Awww… Hokage-sama. Haruno-san is always so occupied. She never notices me. And Hatake's always really really vague and stuff. He just ignores me sometimes!"

Tsunade sweatdropped and said, "Just go, Umi."

He pouted and disappeared with a puff of smoke.

The three waited a while until Sakura poofed into the room. Umi did soon after that. She sneered at him. He grinned cheekily before disappearing again.

"Piece of shit…" she muttered darkly under her breath. Sasuke didn't want to know.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Sakura."

She looked up and saw Sasuke and Naruto still there. She raised an eyebrow, "Is there a reason that I'm back here? Couldn't you have just sent someone to stop me from going home as opposed to that stupid pervert, Umi?"

Tsunade shrugged unapologetically. "We have a verdict to come up with anyhow, I have old hags to satisfy."

"You are an old hag." Sakura said without malice.

Tsunade snarled at her ex apprentice and said, "You'd be a sniveling little girl still without me."

Sakura shrugged, "And you wouldn't have a surrogate daughter."

"Maybe it would be better." Said Tsunade with narrowed eyes.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"Woah woah, ladies. Settle down." Came another voice.

Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya and said, "I sent for Kakashi, not you."

"Well, Kakashi was with me so I came too."

"Nice rhyme, you two," Naruto put in cheerfully.

Sakura smirked. Sasuke was appalled. This was what happened to Konoha while he was gone? A bunch of old geezers making up poetry while deciding his fate?

Tsunade noticed his horrified eyes and one of her eyebrows rose. She grinned and said, "Are we making you nervous?"

He said nothing, his eyes returning to their usual emotionless state. They waited. And waited. And waited some more. Right when everyone was going to leave and just come back tomorrow, Kakashi popped up and said, "Yo!"

Sakura merely rolled her eyes while Naruto sighed and muttered, "Late, as usual."

Tsunade said, "As previous teammates to Uchiha Sasuke, it will be your job to choose the proper punishment for leaving. He hasn't done anything wrong, so I've heard, except for leaving Konoha. He probably proved himself with Orochimaru's and Itachi's deaths."

Naruto proclaimed vehemently, "Execution isn't an option."

Tsunade finally said after much deliberation, "From what Sakura's told me about the cursed seal, it causes sever cases of BLS. We could use the treatment that she invented. Kakashi and Naruto will guard him during the day and night while Sakura will take care of his treatment during the day. As of now, Uchiha Sasuke is subject to probation. Under no circumstances is he allowed out of the village and out of some of the probation officer's sight. I'll assign Sai to help you out, Sakura."

Sakura seemed to be appeased. But Naruto asked quietly, "What's BLS?"

Sakura glanced at Tsunade before saying, "Blood Lust Syndrome."

Sasuke turned his head quickly to stare at Sakura. She met his stare and explained, "It's a syndrome that some shinobi are subject to. It was becoming such a problem that I designed a system to cure it. From what I've read, the Uchiha clan was especially prone to it, among OCD and narcissism."

Naruto said, "Do we think that a psych ward will really help the teme? I mean, I'm sure you've done your research, Sakura, but the cursed seal is a big problem, how will we deal with that?"

Sakura said in a matter of fact tone, "I'll seal it."

Sasuke's stomach dropped.

……………..

Sasuke was nervous. It was hard to admit that, even in his mind, but taking away the cursed seal wasn't something that he had foreseen in his journey back to Konoha. And going through therapy of sorts? Definitely not. He didn't want Sakura seeing _that _either.

Naruto had fetched him from his prison the morning after the private hearing. He had brought him into a dark and dank part of the Konoha hospital. Sakura had yet to appear. Naruto was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

"I've been down here a few times, but I don't know how Sakura can stand it. It's all moldy and nasty." He said, not really seeming to mind that he was talking to the human equivalent of a brink wall.

Naruto continued, "This is one of the really secret rooms that the hospital has for operations that require preparation. Luckily Sakura knows more about this then most so she knew what to do. But you know, Sakura-chan is really known and stuff. There was this guy from Wave who came and asked her to marry him! Just so she could heal his daughter! Because he thought her fee for healing was really high. Sometimes she heals people, especially old people and young people, for free."

"Dobe," Sasuke finally said, getting tired of his incessant chattering.

"Hmm?" Naruto looked up curiously.

"Why would I care?"

Naruto smirked slightly and said, "Because you do."


	3. L'amour

Sorry for not updating earlier… It's been kinda hectic and I've published two original stories to Fictionpress. I think they're good… so check 'em out!

………………..

Sasuke had passed out before he could see what Sakura was doing to him. She had come in moments earlier and shot him with something. When he woke up, he could only see the ceiling. His neck throbbed painfully. His hand instinctively shot up to hold the spot where the cursed seal was.

"In research," a familiar, feminine voice floated out from the side of his bed, "I discovered a way to negate the effects of the cursed seal. Most of your organs are free of Orochimaru's chakra besides your heart. I couldn't risk taking it out of there because it could force your heart to stop. Other then that, you shouldn't be able to use it. Also, about your other… condition. I did all I could."

Sasuke didn't look at her. If he did, he expected seen her trying to hold back tears. He wanted to see her tear filled eyes and her desire to throw her arms around him and hug him until it was ok. But he was unsure. Because this new Sakura was a completely different person and he didn't want to see indifference or apathy.

When he did finally turn, she was looking at a spot above his head.

"Sakura," he said softly.

She met his eyes and he saw the pity. Not the compassion or anguish she felt for him, just the pity. Perhaps before, he would've been angry. He didn't need her pity! But Sasuke just sighed and settled back against the pillows. He had become drowsy again.

…………

Sakura fell against the wall. Her eyes filled with tears. That was what had been done to Sasuke in the Sound village. But why? Why would he kill Itachi? Didn't he want the Uchiha clan to live on? Unless he knew… about that.

She sighed and smiled at a nearby nurse. The cogs in her head were turning and turning. Assuming Sasuke knew about that, it would mean that either Orochimaru knew, Itachi told him, or he found out on his own. If Itachi told him that would mean that Itachi was trying to tell the truth before he died. Would Sasuke really kill his brother after he found out the reason why Itachi killed his clan? The secret of the Uchiha clan… Sakura shook her head. No one knew about the Uchiha clan's secret except Itachi, and now her. And the Hokage. But that was it. No one else knew. So the only person who could've told Sasuke was Itachi. Orochimaru hadn't known or else he would've done something about it.

Sakura was bothered by it the rest of the day but she didn't let it get to her. After all, if Itachi really was dead, the Uchiha clan secret wasn't an issue. Sasuke couldn't reproduce. The lineage wouldn't be carried on.

………..

Naruto put his hand on Sakura's shoulder. She had come to his apartment after her shift and told him what had happened to Sasuke.

"I don't understand…" Naruto muttered.

Sakura smiled slightly, a sad smile.

"Wouldn't Orochimaru want the Uchiha blood line to continue?"

Sakura hmm'd and said, "I suspect that because he would have Sasuke's body, he would have immortal life, not needing another Uchiha."

"Unless Orochimaru knew."

"How could he? It was kept a secret and I had to dig really really deep to find out about it."

"How did you find it? It doesn't seem like something that they'd put in their archives."

Sakura looked down and then looked up. She was biting her lip and looking sheepish. "I got it off Uchiha Fugaku's personal diary."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Uso!"

"It was actually more of a journal but it was in his grave and when they were planting the orchard over the Uchiha quarters… well his body came up in the process of moving it we found it."

Naruto nodded, comprehension in his eyes. "But, Sakura-chan," he said, "do you know if Sasuke has it?"

Sakura shook her head, "It won't show until he's twenty. I suspect, because Itachi doesn't have it, Sasuke won't either. It sometimes skips generations."

Naruto shook his head, "That's amazingly weird… I didn't know the Uchiha clan could conceal something like that from the Hokage."

"Because of that disease, the Uchiha's were so powerful. Even if a Hokage knew, he probably thought that they could take care of it." Sakura explained.

Naruto said nothing for a while, then, "What will you do if Sasuke has it, Sakura?"

Sakura looked downward, "What is expected me by Konoha."

……….

Sasuke stared out into space. It was ten o'clock but she wasn't here yet. He had spent the night at the hospital, recovering from his surgery. Tonight he would stay and Naruto's.

He heard the door open. He looked up and saw Sakura, clipboard in her hand and white medic's coat on.

She nodded at him curtly and turned to talk to the nurse behind her. Sasuke heard her instruct the woman to leave them alone until afterwards unless it was a huge emergency. Then Sakura went to the seat across from him and sat down. She eyed him then said, "How are you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Fine."

"Your neck hurt?"

He nodded, knowing that it was expected of him. She bit her lip and said, "The blood lust shouldn't come on until later, a few weeks from now. If you haven't been in battle for a month, it should really really start to bother you. I'll teach you a way to bank it when the time comes."

Sasuke was curious as to how Sakura found out these ways but he didn't ask.

Sakura said in a lower, less business like voice, "You know why Itachi killed your clan, don't you?"

Sasuke froze. His eyes met hers and he said harshly, "What are you talking about?"

Sakura's eyes widened. In a second Sasuke was up, his hands around her throat, her back pressed against the wall. In this time, Sakura's eyes had diminished in size and she made no attempt to remove herself from this situation. There was no labored breathing and Sakura disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I'm guessing not," she said quietly.

He narrowed his eyes. There was nothing left where he had grabbed. It wasn't substitution.

Sakura sat down and motioned for him to do the same. His eyes narrowed again and he said, "So I'm assuming that you do."

Sakura looked almost sad then she said, "I thought you knew."

"Apparently."

Sakura said nothing. Sasuke kept silent. What was Sakura talking about, and how did she know? Of course, Sasuke assumed the worst. That she seduced Itachi to get the secrets out of him. Or she dug up the Uchiha manor to search for clues. Thoughts like these swirled in his head, creating a whirlwind of anger. He wanted to see blood, now.

All of a sudden, Sasuke was on her, hand on her throat, hand gripping her shirt. She didn't look scared or bothered and it angered him further. He snarled and Sakura felt something cold hit her stomach. She kept her face devoid of emotion, a skill that was developed over years of missions and killing.

"You want blood, don't you, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked softly, her breath caressing his nose.

Sasuke seemed to come to a grasp on his emotions and he let her down, slowly. The cold something went back to wherever it came and he slowly made his way back to his chair.

Sakura had regained her foot and brushed off her clothes. Sasuke lowered himself onto the chair and let out a long sigh. His fists clenched and his jaw tightened. He finally pushed the want to the back of his mind and choked out, "Does that happen often?"

Sakura shrugged in an uncommitted fashion and said, "It comes with the territory."

"Would I have been able to kill you?" Would you have let me?

Sakura smiled a little, in an almost cocky fashion and said, "No, you wouldn't have."

Sasuke's fists unclenched a little and his jaw relaxed. He slumped in a tired manner and said, "Will it ever go away?"

Sakura settled on the floor, her knees folded up in front of her, like a scared child. But her eyes were calm and cool and she said, "No, it won't. But you'll be able to manage it."

Sasuke didn't know if she was confident in her ability or his, but hearing her so confident in her skills gave him a strange feeling of pride but a little nostalgia. Sakura had grown up.

……….

"So he attacked you?!" Tenten asked loudly.

Sakura made a shushing motion and smiled brightly and the surrounding people who were staring. "Yes!" she hissed quietly.

Tenten shook her head in incredulousness. "He had nerve."

Sakura shrugged, not know what Tenten was getting to. "It happens all the time."

"No no… I mean… he's supposed to be your crush and you told him you loved him, the nerve of him to attack you!" Tenten shook her head angrily.

Sakura had to smile, "Oh, Tenten. Not every guy is like Neji."

Tenten promptly turned an attractive beat color and muttered, "It's not like that, Sakura."

Sakura smirked slightly, "Uh huh. Whatever. I can smell the denial."

Tenten huffed angrily then said, "How did this come to me?! We were talking about you. Which means that _you're _avoiding the subject."

Sakura coughed defensively, "Ehem. That was a not-so-subtle change of the subject. Besides, there's nothing to talk about!"

Tenten rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever, Ms. Avoider."

Sakura sneered at her friend and said, "Well… I dunno. Sasuke died a long time ago… This guy may look like Sasuke but he's just another patient."

"Uh huh."

Sakura sighed at her friend's incredulous tone but said nothing. It was useless because Tenten was right.

…………….

Sakura sighed and stepped into the empty apartment. "I'm home," she called to no one. She set her sandals on the ground and walked further in, turning on the kitchen lights before disappearing into the bathroom.

It was so hard to have him back. As hard as she tried to get rid of all these feelings, they still popped back. He wasn't even someone she liked anymore! But love works in strange ways.

In love…? Where the hell did that come from? Haruno Sakura was not in love with Uchiha Sasuke! She wasn't even in like! Sakura muttered something that would've made a sailor blush. After putting her pajamas on she curled up in her bed and cried her eyes out.

………..

Sasuke stared at the mess in front of him. Empty ramen cups were everywhere. There was a stray pair of underpants somewhere there too. Well at least it didn't smell. He stepped in, not expecting a pair of socks (smelly socks) to launch themselves into his face. He growled. "What the hell, dobe?"

Naruto looked up from under a pile of clothes sheepishly, "I was trying to clean up before you got here."

Sasuke muttered, "Nice job…"

Naruto popped up, making clothes fly all over the place, and said, "I think you should sleep over there," he pointed to a place where it looked like a sleeping bag was set up.

Sasuke shrugged.

……….

Sakura was in a sour mood the next day. She gulped down the coffee like a fish with water and banged into the room where she was scheduled to meet Sasuke. He was there, of course, sitting on the mat opposite hers. Calm as a cucumber. His face was void of emotion and she had the insane urge to punch him.

But she sat comfortably on the other mat and said, "Ohayo, Uchiha-san."

His eyes flashed up and he said monotonously, "No Sasuke?"

"No," she said shortly.

He said nothing in return and Sakura finally said after a long silence, "Judging from your reaction, you've very little control of the urge. It must bother you. It'd never pricked your conscious before but now it's bothering you that you can't seem to have control over your actions."

Sasuke said nothing, still wondering how she knew so much about it and why she wanted to know so much about it. If he had to guess, the reason would be him but he wasn't sure.

After another long silence, Sasuke finally said, "Why did you start researching all this?"

Sakura was silent until she said, "At first it was for you. I thought that I would be able to help if I knew more about it. Then I realized that I could really make a difference through treatment like this. Seals are commonly used by other shinobi. I also could help all the jinchuuriki with them."

"And the Uchiha clan?"

Sakura smiled wryly, "That was more for me than anyone else. Who were they? Why were they so strong? Just what is the Sharingan? All those questions were eventually solved through extensive research."

"Is that all you do, now?" Do you stay in this village with your books and girlish fantasies, Sakura?

"No."

"What are you, now?"

Another round of silence ensued. Then finally, "Special Jounin."

That meant she was in ANBU for a while. Just what did she do there?

Sakura sighed and said, "Do you think you can control it?"

Sasuke thought for a while then said, "No."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Well at least he was honest. She let out a sigh. How come all the hot ones were the psychotic ones?

They went on with the meeting, discussing methods to avoid being controlled by the BLS. Sakura didn't notice that her sour mood completely disappeared when she was in the vicinity of Sasuke, who of course occupied all of her thoughts.


End file.
